I have a skywards gold card. The e gate facility has to be activated first on it provided you have an eligible passport. AFAIK if you are not gold you need to pay a fee for it.
In the premium terminal departures area the egate registration office is to the right AFTER immigration but BEFORE security check .

AFAIK you cannot activate egate unless you physically enter DXB passing via immigration in the first place (Can be done if you have a couple of hours transit)

I have been trying to activate it on my card and found the office during my last trip to DXB a few weeks ago. Other people have posted on this forum that this office is open 24/7.
I went there at around 0100 hrs. There was a portly gent standing in front of the office who told me that the office is closed. I had a feeling this was a fib (he was having a chat with his friends) and I then asked what the opening hours were. I was told it opens only at 7 AM .

The best place to get it done is dnata on szr. Never tried a the airport but it's always a zoo so head straight to the lounge.

It's free for golds (my wife has one) but I paid foolishly for an egate card when I arrived. When it expires I will be putting it on my gold card.

It has probably saved me 12 hours of queuing time this year, best thing ever if you travel regularly in and out of dxb.

Any Skywards card works. According to the website, the fees below gold are gone. By the way, anyone with eligible nationality can get it on a credit-card sized plastic, without Skywards. It just costs around 50 USD.

They take your details, a pic and scan your fingerprints. The card is then loaded up. Takes 10-15mins.

I have been to the office ukdoctor mentioned in the middle of the night, and it was open. Another time I went early morning, around 6am to get my card.

There is also a desk on the first floor just past the main entrance, so you can get to it even if you're not travelling.

And there are various locations around Dubai: http://www.emirates.com/bd/English/h...?faqId=1127040

Many thanks for the input guys, esp. Turicus ^

If I have a physical blue card, but will qualify for gold in the near future, is it worth registering on my blue? i.e. will it transfer, or would I only have to register on my gold again?

Colm

If you're eligible for smart gates, go this way. If not, then Gold will give you E-gates (compatible with smart gates too). Going to the desk with the blue card will cost you money as they don't read any status in Skywards database.

I got me Silver card activated earlier this month at the desk on departures level of terminal 3, not the office in the premium entrance area as it isn't 24/7 like the desk on the economy entrance side. The guy that helped me was overjoyed to have me at 3am saying he was getting bored of playing games on his Ipad and was glad to have someone to chat to for a bit. He then went on to try and get convince me to move to Dubai, it was an interesting conversation!

Interesting tip there vidrineb.

Is that office you used located airside or landside ... ?

It's probably the same one I meant above, it's landside.

yes I believe it's the same one Turicus was referencing earlier, it's on the second level at terminal 3 departures.

This is the link to all the locations you can get your card activated at: http://www.emirates.com/ae/english/h...?faqId=1127040

Hi guys, I registered for e-gates on my Gold card (still valid until July 2014) but I received my Platinum one now... I know I can transfer or register the Platinum, but will the Gold one still valid at least to go thru e-gates on my first exit ?

Any advice please about the current best way to register a Skywards gold card for egate on arrival? From posts in this and other threads it seems that things change, and I'd be especially grateful for responses from anyone out there with recentish experience...
Scheduled to arrive at DXB T3 on Tuesday at 06:45, will not be collecting checked baggage, but will have an EK chauffeur car and also be using Dubai Connect. Passport allows visa waiver. I've never exited the airport before, so have no idea where anything is outside of the transit areas, but I'd like to first register the card, then make my way to the Dubai Connect desk/chauffeur drive area. (Or would it be better to register the card after going to the Dubai Connect desk?)

Can anyone please assist with advice?

Don't do it!

If this is the same trip you requested advice on Dubai Connect for

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/emira...ce-sought.html

you won't have time to waste if you want any sort of a rest.

ft101, thanks for your comments; I appreciate your response. You are right, it is the same trip, and all being well, I'll be in the car riding the car to Haneda very soon.
Actually, the motive for trying Dubai Connect is not about getting sleep. With the long flight from HND to DXB in J I expect that I'll get some sleep on the flight, and also there should be chance to get some shuteye on the next leg to Manchester, also in J. I usually find the 777 J seats plus mattress fairly comfortable.
The motivation is curiosity. I fly TYO - MAN several times a year with EK, but have never exited the transit area. Recent schedule changes have extended the transfer time to 7 - 8 hours on HND itineraries, which qualify for Dubai connect. I'd like to find out what Dubai Connect is like, have a look at the hotel, and to experience the airport's groundside.
Also, a hotel room seems like a better place than the lounge to get a comfortable relaxed shower, pick my nose and scratch my bum, and generally take it easy. An hour or two would be fine. Since it costs nothing, I think I'll give it a go once. And it seems a good idea to get the Skywards card validated for egates, so that if I want to use Dubai Connect on trips later this year I'll be able to bypass the immigration queue.

I do appreciate the response and advice, thank you, but what I'm hoping for right now is some idea of what happens and where the services that I'll need are located once I step off the plane and head for the exit... Can anyone out there assist?

This location is now closed (as of about 3 weeks ago). It has been relocated to the new and expanded Immigration office on T3 Arrivals level landside.

Very quick and friendly service. I went there with a colleague for his e-Gate a couple weeks ago and it took less than 5 minutes to complete.